Ormesby will have new France international joining Sarah Berge their ranks as they begin the defence of their Women’s British Table Tennis League in the first round of matches in Wolverhampton this weekend.

Berge is a talented defensive player and makes the already strong Ormesby team of Karina Le Fevre, Chloe Whyte and Maria Tsaptsinos even stronger.

She comes to Teesside in form having reached the semi-finals of the French National Championships in both the singles and doubles earlier this year.

Berge also has vast experienced having represented France in major competitions in both Europe and Asia.

Thornaby’s Le Fevre has been the mainstay in the Ormesby team which has won the championship for two of the last three years.

She represented England in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in the summer and has played for England on many occasions over the last five or six years.

Whyte has also been a regular member of the Ormesby team for several years and has won some major domestic competitions, including the Junior Masters.

Tsaptsinos joined the Ormesby squad last season and compiled a remarkable record as she won all 10 of her matches in the final round of fixtures which helped Ormesby to secure the title.

Some of those wins came against some of England’s senior women.

Ormesby will have more testing opposition in Wolverhampton this season as their main rivals the Draycott East Midlands Club from Derby have signed the in-form Abbie Milwain.

Milwain won the first major tournament of the season, the Liverpool Grand Prix last month.

Draycott’s team also includes Guernsey international Alice Loveridge and Emma Vickers, who has been their No 1 player for a number of years and is one of England’s leading lady players.